DC Regulations

Homeschooling in the District is fairly straightforward legally. District homeschool regulations were created in 2008 and, thanks to the participation of many homeschooling families, the regulations are much less intrusive than those the State Board originally drafted. Also, the regulations are written in a way that grants the Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE) leeway in determining how they enforce the regulations. To date OSSE has defaulted to a position of trusting parents to seek the best interests of their children. Currently, investigations only occur when there is cause to believe that parents are not fulfilling their legal responsibility.

Links to Regulatory Information

DCMR 5200 is the section of District of Columbia Municipal Code that governs home education in the District. Sections 5202-5205 spell out the obligations of homeschooling parents. Every home educator in the District should read and understand these sections of the code before beginning to homeschool. If you have any questions, feel free to contact DCHEA. This section of the DC Code is promulgated by the State Board of Education (SBOE) and is overseen by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).